Category: history

7 May 2023 Heart

by saymber, posted in Art and Poetry, Bipolar life, drawing, history, human rights, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Movies, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you today? I’m just back from church – wasn’t sure if I was going but I did go. There are so many nice people that go and as I get regular with my attendance, the more people I get to know. The next event the ladies are having is a Ladies Tea on the 20th. My Aunt and I are planning on attending.

Todays message was more about the life of Abraham. The part we went over was when Abraham’s wife didn’t want to wait any longer for the God promised baby and she suggested Abraham conceive with Hagar the slave. The message about that was when we push our will instead of waiting can cause heart ache. The other message, and this has come up before, is how our hearts can’t be trusted. I wanted to put up my hand and disagree! One of my favorite sayings is from a 1920’s movie called Metropolis “the mediator between the head and hands must be the heart.” That silent movie was about how ruthless a business person can be without using their heart. As a woman and an empath I use my heart a lot! Sadly that’s probably why I have so many labels and mental health issues.! So much inner conflict between my brain and my heart.

I understand the intent of the message is to encourage us to get closer to God and not lean completely on our understanding but as I’m experiencing lately – God has been really quiet and without using my heart, I wouldn’t keep going to church and try to find a way to serve God and the community.

The world can be a heartless place – all you have to do is look at a news feed or talk to someone. It’s hard to find and achieve balance between using my heart and leaning on God. How can you love others as you should love God and yourself without using and trusting your heart?!

There is so much conflict for me with how we are taught to operate in this world. On the one hand we are taught to turn inward and find God and wisdom. There is emphasis on prayer and meditation which comes from within and then flows out. On the other hand we are taught that our inner selves are unreliable and inherently bad . We are taught to look outside ourselves for guidance and wisdom. This was what I learned in AA and all the church’s I’ve been to. I was taught I’m not trustworthy on my own. How can be turning inward to where the Holy Spirit is supposed to be bad? Where does the Holy Spirit within us reside? Where does our souls energy reside?

I am still learning and have to trust God will show me his truth.

I guess I don’t like to hear that on my own I’m not a good person. I have spent a lot of my life in therapy to deal with low self esteem issues! That’s probably not what is intentioned in todays message but that’s what I heard and keep hearing. That’s the tough job of a Pastor I guess – sometimes to tell us not what we want to hear but need to hear? Pastor Jason said it was a hard sermon for him to write and I can see why!

One of my drawings – this was during one of my more creative phases

Acts 2 : 2-4

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

3 May 2023 Favorite Holiday

by saymber, posted in history, Home, human rights, Leading Life by Example, Native American Culture, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite?

Hello to you – how is your day going? I’m doing ok. Todays prompt is a tricky one to talk about. My favorite holiday used to be Halloween but with all the controversy around it I decided Thanksgiving is my favorite instead. Really there isn’t a holiday we celebrate that doesn’t have some conflict about it. Most if not all holidays have pagan origins! I like Thanksgiving because it’s about food and family – being grateful for everything we have.

Halloween got ruined for my ex and I living in Texas. The churches would do trunk or treat which meant less trick or treaters in the neighborhood. A lot of the families that took their kids to the trunk or treat would then come to the neighborhoods anyways! It felt hypocritical to us that towns that forbid trick or treating came to our town. When the new houses went in, the kids mostly went there and we hardly had any kids come through our neighborhood. Halloween is kind of a holiday like Easter and Christmas. There are double meanings. Is Easter about bunnies and Easter egg hunts or about Jesus rising from the dead? Is Christmas about Santa Claus and presents or about celebrating Jesus being born? A lot of Christians do pagan things with their children – they do both as a right of passage. The holidays have been for so long about how much money can be made – so materialistic!

https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween

I have a lot of happy memories of Thanksgiving. It was a time of getting together with family and sharing food. My favorites have always been the desserts – pumpkin pie. Sadly as our country has become more aware, there are some not so happy things about the history of Thanksgiving from a First People perspective:

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/thanksgiving-ideas/a33446829/thanksgiving-history/.

A columbine in my neighbors yard
Lots more tulips now!

Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

2 May 2023 Camping

by saymber, posted in Art and Poetry, drawing, history, Home, Nature, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Have you ever been camping?

Hello to you. How are you doing? I’m just waking up. I had problems getting to and staying asleep last night. My Aunt is coming over in a bit to do a fitting on the dress I bought for the wedding this month. She’s taking it in a little bit. They didn’t have a 2x size so it’s a little big on me.

Todays prompt makes me think of good childhood memories of camping. I used to go with my grandparents Schmidt and can remember going with my babysitter Mary Tennessen one time. With my grandparents there was fishing and swimming. Sitting out at night and there being tons of frogs. I can remember my Grandpa scaring me through the window with a fish he caught! One of my favorite memories was of Grandma taking me swimming and there being little fish nibbling my toes. With the Tennessens I remember a May fly hatching and thousands of them were attracted to the inside lights of the camper! I haven’t been camping since those days.

As I’ve gotten older I have become a creature of comforts. Not really a camping girl! I like watching videos of people living out of their vans and RVs – having the comforts of home while traveling and visiting nature. It’s pretty amazing to see how creative people are!

This came out after my drawing
Teacher – drawing I did of Jesus

30 April 2023 Turkey and Holy Sacrifice

by saymber, posted in Animal Rights, animals, Health, history, human rights, Nature, Spirituality and Religion, trust, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging
When I came home from church this turkey was running down our road! What were they running from?

Hello to you. Hope this finds you doing well. I’m a bit frustrated. The ants found Links food and water bowl and swarmed it. I managed to take care of it- Monday can’t get here soon enough! SO annoying!

Church was good today. We are going over the covenant between God and Abraham. There were a lot of “its” involved lol. The only thing that bothered me was the sacrificing of animals. The way things were done in the Old Testament was pretty gory. I don’t understand why things have to be so bloody to be holy for God. When I think of animal sacrifice in our modern time I think of the turkeys that die in the millions for Thanksgiving. Think of all the places that sell meat – lots of living sacrifices that we might live. Most people don’t think like I do about that and still eat meat. I am extremely grateful for the lives, the sources of energy, that die so I can live. In some cases there is so much needless suffering beforehand.

Romans 12:1 (NIV)”Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”

19 April 2023 Never Visit? (Daily Prompt)

by saymber, posted in history, Home, human rights, In the News, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

What place in the world do you never want to visit? Why?

Hello to you. How is your week so far? In a couple hours I’m going in for an MRI of my head to see what’s going on in there. I’m not really worried about it. If I in fact have Mal de barque syndrome the scan will not show anything. If the scan is negative that means whatever is going on is something I’m just going to have to learn to live with.

Todays prompt is about deciding on a place I would never want to visit and why. I honestly can’t think of just one place! Any place that has high gun violence and that could be any place in the states. The same for overseas – I wouldn’t want to visit Russia or the Ukraine with what is going on there right now. The Middle East always seems to have something going on so I don’t think I would want to go there either. Like I said, it’s hard to choose just one place. When I was stationed in Europe I felt safe to travel but I have heard things have changed since I left.

Here is a beautiful and popular psalm for travelers:

Psalm 91New International Version

Psalm 91

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refugeand my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angelsconcerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

17 April 2023 Dreams

by saymber, posted in dreams, history, Home, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Politics and Government, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you? Today my thoughts turn to dreams. Not the kind when you sleep but the kind you have when your awake. Like having dreams for your life – your future. The reason I am thinking about this is because we had another tragic mass shooting at a teenagers birthday party. Four young people who had dreams and goals for their future were killed. When I have spoken of shootings before I mention that time is taken from first responders. What is taken from the victims and their families is dreams…goals…hope for the future. Phil Dowdell was one of the victims in the Dadeville Alabama shooting. He had dreams of persuing a football career – he had a scholarship. In the passion of one moment – poof! Gone! He was only 18 years old. All that promise, hope and plans for the future erased. My thoughts and prayers go out to the community of Dadeville. I hope those critically wounded and others that were wounded at the party make a full recovery. I hope they will have resources for grief counseling.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65298018

Isaiah 40:31New International Version

31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

26 April 2023 Ten years – A Time For Everything

by saymber, posted in animals, Bipolar life, Health, history, Home, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Todays prompt is making me do something I don’t normally do anymore and that is predicting or and projecting my future. Ten years is a long time! If time goes at the rate it’s going I see myself still here in Idaho and possibly having met a nice man for companionship. I am a little slow when it comes to doing things! Sadly I will have to deal with the heart break of Link probably passing on in that time and I don’t know if I will want to go through another life cycle of a pet. Not something I’m looking forward to! I can’t even really talk about it without getting upset. He’s the first dog I have known since he was a newborn puppy.

There are other potential losses I may experience in a ten year life span – it will be crushing. My generation is one where the generation ahead of us, Baby Boomers, are aging out. I think of family photos where so many of the people in them are no longer here with us. God willing, what is coming in the next years will be bearable and not all at once. When I get overwhelmed with grief is when I have had my breakdowns in the past.

A interesting passage from the Bible about time and being human:

Ecclesiastes 3New International Version

A Time for Everything

3 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
4     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.15 Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.[b]16 And I saw something else under the sun:In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.17 I said to myself,“God will bring into judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath[c]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

15 April 2023 Happiness

by saymber, posted in animals, Bipolar life, Food, history, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Nature, Spirituality and Religion, trust, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

What are 5 everyday things that bring you happiness?

Hello to you. How are you? I hope your doing ok. The world is kind of crazy! Todays prompt is a good one. When the world around you is seeming kind of chaotic a good way to get grounded is to focus thoughts on what’s good in your life – gratitude. Something I’ve done ever since I was in rehab many years ago was a mental gratitude list. Rather than sit and complain pull out your gratitude list. What’s fun about doing it is how quickly you go from just one thing your grateful for to a whole bunch of things.

I have many things that make me happy and that I’m grateful for. At the top of my list is family and friends. My family and friends have gotten me to this day! True examples of unconditional love. Next is of course Link. I love waking up to his sweet smile and wagging tail. Number three is good food – I enjoy food too much lol! Number four is my connection to God – having a church home has really been helpful to keeping that connection strong. Number five is nature – seeing nature wake up this spring just really makes me happy! The best florist in the world is momma nature!

My Uncle Bill shared a couple pictures this morning of a beautiful California poppy bloom. The rains made it happen! Something good out of something that has caused a lot of people trouble:

Poppy bloom picture from my Uncle Bill- what a beautiful sight. I can remember last year asking God about orange flowers and the first ones he showed me were these types of flowers growing here!

11 April 2023 Sunshine and Dandelions

by saymber, posted in animals, history, Home, Leading Life by Example, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How’s your day going? I’m just back from taking Link for a morning drag – he likes to lollygag and dawdle! It’s another beautiful day out. The spring is definitely in full swing right now:

The dandelions are up – first flowers of spring and food for pollinators
Beautiful sunny and cloud filled sky

I was looking for a message of hope today and found this:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. —Romans 15:13

In todays world with so much going on sometimes it’s hard to find hope. In my family and a friend from church new babies have come or are on the way. In these newborns there is much hope for the future. Scrolling through the various platforms I use each day there are lots of puppies, kittens, lambs, kid goats, bunnies and baby birds – life is abundant!

10 April 2023 Daffodils

by saymber, posted in animals, history, Home, Leading Life by Example, Nature, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you? I’m doing pretty good. I got Link out just enough for him to do his business and then took him home and walked on my own. Its no good trying to force him to go all the way around if he doesn’t want to go. It’s sunny and windy today. I was a bit winded after the walk but it felt good to have the sunshine on my face. I was able to capture a couple flower pictures – remembered to bring the phone:

My neighbors daffodils – such a cheerful sign of spring!
My boy and some lovely little purple flowers

When I was growing up in Sioux Falls South Dakota the first flowers to bloom were tulips. I haven’t seen any of those here.

Lately I’m regretting quitting my pest control service. I have some ants that have decided to try and make a home inside mine. I have been killing them when I see them and that helps for a little while and then they come back! Ugh! Any suggestions?

What an experience this must have been:

Matthew 28:1-10New International Version

Jesus Has Risen28

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them.“Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”